Sign



OC- 6, 1931- R. c. SMALLEY ET AL 1,826,388

SIGN

Filed Aug. 7, 1928 33513 tfwfo @blame/130 M @fw/b patented @et 5, lt.

ARLINGTON, I FLUSHING, Naw YORK, assIGNoRs rro CLAUDE. NEON nears, me.,or Nnw YORK, N. Y., a CORPORATION or New YORK ROBERT C. SMALLEY, OF

i trasse NEW JERSEY, AND 'WILLIAM L. MOOBM'IELD, OF

SGN

Application led August 7, 1928. Serial. No. 297,941..

This invention relates broadly to advertising signs and other likeinstrumentalitiesof the kind in which a stencil or other partlytransparent means bearing indicia illuminated by an external or naturallight, such as daylight, is reflected to the eye from a reflectingsurface. Y

One object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter wherein the l@ indicia bearing means may be illuminated,

during the hours of darkness, by an artificial source of light. To thisend, a discharge or gaseous conductor tube is associated with theindicia bearing means and is adapted t0 be energized at night to serveas a source o light when natural light is not available. Such dischargetube, being transparent, permits the passage of natural lighttherethrough to the stencil when an externa source of light isavailable.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an advertisingsign having the general characteristics described and which is capableof showing different indicia, alternately, from the same area.Accordingly, a plurality of indicia bearing means are provided adaptedto be illuminated in sequence,

the light therefrom being reflected to the P eye by a suitablereflecting medium. More particularly, a screen such as a pane of glasssilvered upon one surface, is arranged at an angle to the line of sightof an observer. lndicia bearing means may be arranged at a substantiallysimilar angle to the screen so that light illuminating the indiciabearing means will be reflected by the screen to the r fr eye. Upon theopposite side of the screenl another indicia bearing means may bedisposed preferably in substantially parallel ret? lation thereto andsuitably illuminated by light rays which will then fall upon the screenand are visible to the eye. Discharge tubes may be utilized tolilluminate the respective indicia bearingemeans and may be Lsuccessively energized through the medium 1 is preferably o f a flasherso that the respective indicia carried by the indicia bearing means mayalternately show upon the screen.

The invention also has to do with a practical instrumentality wherebythe foregoing objects may be realized from the standpoint of ease andcheapness `of manufacture and convenience and compactness in use. Inaccordance with this aspect of the invention a housing Or casing may beprovided having light transmitting portions in angularly disposed planesand a sheet of glass arranged at equal angles to said planes. Upon theside Opposite said light transmitting portions, the pane of glass may besilvered. Across one light transmitting portion a stencil may be carriedand in parallel relationship therewith a discharge tube may be dis osedwhich bent in the form o a grid. In parallel relationship with thesilvered glass and upon the opposite side thereof from the first namedstencil there may be disposed a second stencil in parallel relationship`with the mirror and conveniently spaced there-4 from which stencil isalso illuminatedby a discharge/tube which may also take the shape of agrid. If desired means may be disosed between the discharge tubes todiifuse the light therefrom so that it `may illuminate all parts of theindicia evenly and also prevent the form of the source of light beingvisible on the screen. l

These and other objects of the invention and the means for theirobtainment will be more apparent from the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, andin which:

Figure 1 is a view in transverse vertical section of an advertising signin accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the sign looking above, parts being broken away toshow the interior.

Referring to the drawings, a casing is shown at 16 which 1s preferablyet metal and may have a iront side 11 having a light short in adirection transmitting portion or an opening 12 therein. The top 13 ofthe sign may similarly have a light transmitting portion or opening 14.The bottom 15 of the sign may be relatively parallel to the top 13 andmay be directed upwardly at an angle say oi' about l5 degrees, as at 16,to join a short vertical rear side 17. Thus a closed bon may be jformedhaving Windows either open or coveredby a transparent closure. A. plateof glass 20 may conveniently extend from the lower front corner of thesignl to the upper rear corner and is thus disposed at an angle 'ofabout i5- degrees to both the sides 11 and 13 or light transmittingportions thereof. As illustrated the lower front and upper rear cornersare flattened, as at 18, and the screen 20 may'rest in the angle formedby the portions 13 and rear wall 17 and bottom 15 respectively. Thisplate of glass may be silvered on the lower surface, as at 21, and thusforms a screen reflecting surface 20-21- Across the opening 1li in thetop 13 there may be disposed indicia bearing means such as a stencil 23so that light from a natural or external source, such as daylight, willilluminate the stencil and passing therethrough tothe silver mirror26e-21, be redected thereby through the light transmitting portion 12 tothe eye of an observer. The stencil 23 may be supported as by bracketsor the equivalent 24e a sulicient distance below the top 13 to permitthe inclusion therealoove of a discharge tube 26. This discharge tubemay be reversely bent in the form oi? a grid, as shown clearly in Figure2. Thus when the tube is energized and emits light it will illuminatethe stencil 23 for redection by the reecting surface 20-21. A. diusingelement 28, such as ribbed glass, ground glass or the equivalent, may beinterposed between the stencil 23 and the discharge tube 26 so as todiffuse the light from' said tube and cause it to illuminate the stencilequally at all points. The diffusing glass also serves to prevent' thedetails of the discharge tube 26 being visible on the reflecting surface20-21.

An illuminated device, as described, may be availed of in the hours ofdaylight for conveying the message carried upon its stencil 23 by meansof natural light entering thecasing 10 through the transparent portionof the top 13 and being reflected tothe eye of an observer by a mirrorat 21. During the hours `oi darkness, the same message may be conveyedby light rays emitted by the tube light 26 travelling over the same pathto the eye.

Upon the opposite side of the reflecting surface 20-21 a similar stencil33 may be disposed, which is supported in parallel relationship With thereflecting surface and preferably spaced therefrom and supported fromthe inclined rear wall i6 by means, say, of brackets 34. l dischargetube similar to that previously described and indicated 36 may beinterposed between the stencil 33 and the rear wall 16 and if desired adiffusing medium 23 may also be disposed between the discharge tube andthe stencil. l/Vhen the tube 36 is energized the indicia on stencil 33will be thrown upon the screen 2O and be visible therethrough.

Discharge tubes are well known and one type thereof comprises atransparent envelope illel preferably with an inert gas, such as neon,helium, 'argon and the others of the same group. rThis gas is caused toemit light by the passage therethrough between spaced electrodes, of ahigh tension alternating current. Various colors of emitted light may beobtained by proper selection of the rare gases or mixtures thereoi2alone or with vapors, such as mercury vapor.

llt will be obvious that a sign such as described may be illuminated bysun light or other external source oi light passing uninterruptedlythrough the discharge tube and through the light transmitting portionsla of the top 13. The light may then pass through the stencil 23 and bereflected to the eye from the silvered mirror 20-21. By the term stencilis intended any instrumentality containing indicia of some charactersuch as an advertising slogan and which is capable of being illuminatedor thrown upon the screen 20-21. @bviously the transparent plate 23 maybear any character of indicia having any color.

In some situations it may be found desirable to alternately transmitmessages to the eye. For instance the words Save time may first bevisible upon the screen 20-21 and thereafter the Word Telegraph may bemade visible thereon. In this instance, the Words Save time could becarried upon the stencil 23 while the Word Telegraph7 could be carriedupon the stencil 33 and the discharge tubes 26 and 36 alternatelyilluminated to render the respective slogans visible in proper sequence.This may be effected by energizing the discharge tubes alternately fromthe secondary coil 40 of a transformer 41 whereof the primary coil 12 isin circuit with a source of alternating current. The means by. which thedischarge tubes are alternately energized may take the form of a flasher45. y A

Where the indicia bearing means 23 and 28 are alternately illuminated,discharge tubes will beildesirably availed of as the source of light anda natural source of light Will not be utilized. In such situations thetop 13 can conveniently be closed against the passage of light.Furthermore the lsame message may be carried by both stencils butdifferently colored so that the same message aeaaaes appears indifferent colors alternately 'on the It will thus be seen that anadvertising sign has been provided whereof its message may beilluminated by an external source of light, as by daylight, during thehours of light and at night by a gaseous conductor tube 26, 36. 0n theother hand, the invention is equally applicable in situations where anexternal source of light is not availed of but messages are adaped tofollow one another in sequence.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in thecomposition, configuration and disposition of the component elementsgoing to make up the device as a Whole. It is also to be understood thatcertain of the component elements are capable of use individually aswell as in combination with other of the elements and no limitation isintended by the phraseology of the foregoing description orillustra-tions in the a c companying drawings except as indicated 1n theappended claims.

What we claim is 1. A display device comprising a screen arranged andadapted to both reflect light impinging thereon from one side and'fortransmitting light therethrough impinging thereon from the other side, astencil on each side of the screen, and means for applying' light tosaid screen from both sides through the said respective stencils.

Q. A display device comprising a screen arranged and adapted to bothreflect light impinging thereon from one side and for transmittin lighttherethrough impinging y thereon from the other side, a stencil on eacside of the screen, and separate means for applying light to said screenfrom both sides through the said respective stencils.

3. A display device comprising a screen arranged and adapted to bothreiect light impinging thereon from one side and for transmitting lighttherethrough impinging thereon from the other side, means for applyinglight to said screen from both sides, and a stencil interposed betweenthe origin of said light and said screen for dening characters on thescreen.

4. A display device comprising a screen arranged and adapted to bothreiect light impinging thereon from one side and for transmitting lighttherethrough impinging thereon from the other side, separate means forapplying light to said screen from both sides, and a stencil foreach ofsaid separate light applying means for applying different characters tothe screen.

5. An advertising sign comprising a casing having light transmittingportions in angularly disposed planes, -a screen interposed between thesaid portions, stencils, and discharge tubes to illuminate the stencilsand throw the light on opposite sides of the screen. v

6. An advertising sign comprising a casing having a light transmittingportion, a reecting surface at an angle to saidportion, a stencildisposed at a substantially similar angle to said surface, a dischargetube to illuminate said stencil, a stencil parallel with and upon theopposite side of the reflecting surface and a discharge tube toilluminate saidlast named stencil.

7 An advertising sign comprising a casing having a light transmittingportion, a screen at an angle to said portion, a stencil disposed at asubstantially similar angleto said screen, a discharge tubetofilluminate said stencil, a stencil parallel with and upon theopposite side of the screen, a discharge tube to illuminate said lastnamed stencil and light diffusing means bttween the tubes and stencils.i

8. An advertising sign comprising a casing having a light transmittingportion, a screen at an angle to said portion, a stencil disposed at asubstantially similar angle to said surface, a discharge tube toyilluminate said stencil, a stencil parallel with and upon the oppositeside. of the screen, a discharge tube to illuminate said last namedstencil L and means to energize the tubes alternately.

9. An advertising sign comprising a casing having a light transmittingportion, a screen at an angle to said portion, a stencil disposed at asubstantially similar angle to said screen, a discharge tube toilluminate said stencil, a stencil parallel with and upon the oppositeside o the screen, a discharge v tube to illuminate said last namedstencil, light diffusing means between the tubes and stencils and meansto energize the tubes alternately.

10. A display device comprising gas discharge luminescent tubes, ascreen interposed between said tubes and adapted to reflect light fromone tube and transmit light from the other tube and stencils interposed,respectively, between each tubeY and the said screen.

l1. A display device comprising, in combination, a screen arranged andadapted to.

both reflect light impinging thereon from one ,side and for transmittinglight therethrough impinging from the other side, a gas discharge tubeoneach side of said screen, a stencil between said screen and each gasdischarge tube, and diusing means between each tube and itscorresponding stencil.

12. A display device comprising gas discharge luminescent tubes, ascreen interposed between said tubes and adapted to reiiect light fromone tube and transmit light from the other tube, a stencil interposedbetween each tube and the said screen, and means to l:apply dischargecurrent alternately to each tu 13. An advertising sign comprising acasics ing having iight i'ensniing portions in engulariy disposed panes,o sheei'; of siivered glass interposed ioetween ghe seid porion-s,stencils, and gaseous disehmge ubes .to i1- luminate the stencils and'hrow iight on opposite sides of the scieen.

le'. A display device comprising souioes of light, a screen interposedbetween seid sources and adapted to ieiec; iight from one source andtransmit iig-hi; om she other source, a stenciiL inteposed besween eachsource of light anni the seid seieen, and means to alternatelyiiiumineze each source of iigl :in testimony whereof We have hereuntoset our hands this 3nd dey of August, 1928.

RBER' C. SMALLEY. /'LLAM

